Welcome to One Note Ahead. From October of 2006 through April of 2010, I used this space to bring you a variety of writings and videos pertaining to music and the music industry. I've kept the blog online since discontinuing new posts, but in August of 2014, I had to close comments because of a barrage of spam comments. Sorry, but I hope you enjoy the blog anyway.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

The world reels from (and mires itself in controversy over) the sudden death of Michael Jackson while '60s rock fans mourn the loss of The Seeds' Sky Saxon. The Grim Reaper's been on a mass media spree this past week, claiming the lives of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Mays as well. But the Grim Reaper hasn't gotten all of us yet, and so life goes on. Life in this case is bringing much news to the realm of One Note Ahead and, in an eerie parallel to last June, I feel compelled to provide an update.

=> The fast-approaching start date of the XPoNential Music Festival provoked me to re-read my blog about last summer's event, and did I ever notice how much has changed since then! The Redwalls are down to Logan and Justin Baren but are still working on new songs and recordings. Nicole Atkins, formerly backed by a band called The Sea, now has a new backing band called The Black Sea (making a mere historical artifact out of that dirty-cool "Nicole Atkins & The Sea" button Nicole gave me). The Back Door Slam I saw and wrote about last summer are history, and frontman Davy is continuing with supporting musicians as "Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam." To prove that some things remain constant, Ingrid Michaelson has a new album and tour coming up. These are but a few examples of what's up with last year's XPoNential Fest performers!

=> Matt Duke has a forthcoming release called Kingdom Underground. I know I said that last June and that I reviewed a Matt Duke album by that title last September, but let me explain: the full title of this new release is actually Acoustic Kingdom Underground EP. Its title really says it all: an acoustic EP meant to complement the Kingdom Underground album. Whether I'll review it depends on whether I can score a promo copy; either way, the EP comes out this Tuesday, June 30th. Three of its tracks are on Matt's MySpace now.

=> Jake Snider will be releasing a new record next month called The Seven, whose contents are inspired by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I doubt that I'll be reviewing this collection because I am only vaguely familiar with Harry Potter and I've never felt like those books and movies were up my alley. But it's a Jake Snider record, so I might just like it anyway. He's having a couple of CD release shows in the Philly area; check online for details.

=> Further down the road, Downtown Harvest plan to drop their long-anticipated third album this fall. And since I haven't been their publicist since last May, who knows? I might just feature them on ONA again. Speaking of ONA favorites turned PR clients turned former PR clients, I'm afraid Laura Cheadle joined that group in February. Don't worry, we're still friends. Her new album Live On, which I mentioned in last year's update, came out in February -- yes, around the same time that I stopped being her publicist. You can check out some of the tracks on MySpace if you're curious.

That's quite enough for now! Stay tuned, for you never know what One Note Ahead will bring you next.

Monday, June 15, 2009

If you're a '90s kid like me (that's the 1990's, folks), there's a good chance you remember and love EMF's immortal hit "Unbelievable." And if you have a pulse and like music, you probably have some affinity for Tom Jones -- even if you'd never admit that publicly. Still, the pairing of Tom Jones with EMF?!?! You might say it's......unbelievable.

Friday, June 5, 2009

This is a series I've been considering for over two years, and I've finally decided to do it. It's simple: I'm going to recommend a bunch of tracks I'm digging and want more people to know about. If I've already given an artist a full review or feature on One Note Ahead, whatever album or EP I've written about is off limits in the "Now Hear This!" series because it will get (or has gotten) a shout-out in the "Quick Takes" series; unrelated tracks by that artist can be included in "Now Hear This!"

If you've read enough of my work, you know what eras are my favorites, so I'll have some newer tracks (since the 1980s) and some older tracks (before the 1980s) each time I do this. If I can find these selections on iTunes, I'll let you know where to look for them so you can get the whole album or compilation if you want.

Newer

"Breakdown," Tim McGlone (available on Street Sounds)

This likable singer/songwriter is boys with Matt Duke and has had Jake Snider support him at two sold-out shows; I was inevitably going to get hip to this guy. While he runs through a variety of styles on his new album Street Sounds, "Breakdown" is the kind of rock 'n' soul you just don't hear much anymore: a production that's slick but edgy, a captivating arrangement (Tim's own), and a raw voice belting out lyrics most of us can relate to. Tell your friends and maybe it'll be on iPods all around the world.

"No Way Out," Jim Boggia (available on Misadventures In Stereo)

I've only mentioned Jim a couple of times, both in connection with last year's XPN festival, and that's just as well -- there are plenty of writers out there who simply adore him and have demonstrated as much. But I have been remiss in not saying anything about this particular song, a most off-kilter ode to drinking one's life away. There are some killer riffs in the dizzyingly over-the-top arrangement and it would make a hell of a production number for a burlesque show. Intrigued?

Jim Boggia and a huge supporting cast do "No Way Out" live:

"Plenty Good Reasons," Pete and J (available on Plenty Good Reasons)

Okay, you caught me: there's a connection here, namely that Pete and J played as a band with Jim Boggia at a recent show which kicked so much ass that they should all be arrested if they never do it again. "Plenty Good Reasons" is a proud slab of all-American folk-rock, marrying the great American folk song tradition to the driving rhythms of early rock 'n' roll. This is a rare offering that reminds us of this country's grand musical history while sounding fresh enough to light up today's radio playlists. (Recent experiences with various friends compel me to add that Pete and J are not the same act as my PR clients The Josh and Pete Band!)

The Everly Brothers might have been known for their sweet harmonies and clean-cut appearances, but some of their mid-1960s work was downright badass. Don and Phil with fuzz guitar, choppy drumming, and lyrics like "When I close my eyes and I think of you/You wouldn't believe what comes in view"? It's all here. This didn't become a hit. Maybe it wasn't commercial enough. Maybe Americans just didn't care about the Everlys in 1965. Too bad. This rocks.

"The World Through A Tear," Neil Sedaka (available on Sedaka Sings The Hits)

Also from 1965, by which time Neil Sedaka could no longer "down-doo-be-doo-down-down" and "doo-ba-bop-bop-o-doo-bop-she-down-down" his way to the top of the charts. But wait! Easy Listening was a still a viable market in 1965. And that was the field in which Sedaka made his comeback.......but in 1974, not 1965. Too bad, for "The World Through A Tear" is fabulous: a somber yet breezy ballad with a Latin beat and an unusually reserved vocal from the normally flamboyant singer. It made the charts at least, but it probably left Sedaka's loyal fans confused because -- it sounds nothing like a Neil Sedaka record! And he didn't write it, no matter what he might imply in this clip:

"I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top," The Hollies (available on Epic Anthology)

I remember when I raided my sizable collection of Hollies CDs to load a bunch of their tracks onto my iTunes library. I wasn't quite sure why I included this one, but I'm glad I did because I've come to realize how beautiful it really is. The Hollies scored two of their biggest US hits with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" in late 1969/early 1970 and "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)" in 1972. Nestled between those records was this gem, a deliciously-harmonized love song with a spacious arrangement. A pre-stardom Elton John played piano on this track, which did quite well in the UK but barely registered in in the US.

I'm not going to post volumes in this series with any regularity, just whenever I can and feel like doing so. But stay tuned all the same!